On This Day

First theater built for rear movie projection in NYC

The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No.

The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th streets, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Built from 1926 to 1927 as a Broadway theater, the Sullivan was developed by Arthur Hammerstein in memory of his father, Oscar Hammerstein I. The two-level theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp with over 1,500 seats, though the modern Ed Sullivan Theater was downsized to 370 seats by 2015.

Historical Significance

The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No.

Events Before

  1. Claus von Stauffenberg is promoted to Second Lieutenant

    Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...

  2. Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutiona

    Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutionary base areas

  3. Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

    Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

  4. Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

    Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

  5. Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

    Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

Events After

  1. Jacob Coxey Sr. is chosen as the Mayor of Massillon, Ohio

    Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951), sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician and perennial candidate.

  2. Italian-American film director Frank Capra (34) weds second wife, American secretary Lucille Warner (29) in Brooklyn, NY

    Italian-American film director Frank Capra (34) weds second wife, American secretary Lucille Warner (29) in Brooklyn, NYC, until her death in 1984

  3. As a member of the gold medal-winning US four-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan becomes the only Olympian t

    As a member of the gold medal-winning US four-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan becomes the only Olympian to win gold medals at both the Summer (boxing gold in Antwerp 1920) and Winter Games in different sports

  4. Sydney Harbour Bridge opens in Sydney, Australia

    The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore.

  5. "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes th

    "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line "I want to be alone" (Best Picture/Production 1932)

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 14, 1931?
The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th streets, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Built from 1926 to 1927 as a Broadway theater, the Sullivan was developed by Arthur Hammerstein in memory of his father, Oscar Hammerstein I.
Why is First theater built for rear movie projection in NYC significant?
The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No.

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